Postage Due
by Alan Clark
Traveling PCs discover a man's corpse hidden near the road. The body, which has been dead for just a few hours, has been looted of valuables. A torn pouch beside it contains a letter addressed to 'Horst the Merchant, The Cup & Crown, Whitehill' and dated six days past.
One side of the letter is a dull shipping contract. The other side, written in the same hand with a curious, splotchy brown ink, says:
"It wasn't easy, but I've got her. Be at the crossroads east of Port Nettlesby at sunset of Starday next. I'll hand her over to you then, if you have the additional 1500 crowns you promised me. Don't be late. I have other commitments. M."
The next Starday is tomorrow, and Port Nettlesby is 10 miles away.
(Originally appeared in Re:Quests!, issue #33, March 1994, p. 30; Mary H Kelly, editor.)
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